Terror in Paris

I will be chairing a meeting of COBRA this morning following the horrifying and sickening terror attacks in Paris. — David Cameron (@David_Cameron) November 14, 2015

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 8:29:52 AM

Sydney08:28 GMT - The Sydney Opera House will be lit in red, white and blue on Saturday as Australians express their solidarity with France.New South Wales state premier Mike Baird said he had also asked for a French flag to fly over the city's famous harbour bridge."Turns out, there isn't one in the country that is big enough," he wrote on Facebook. "So, if we can't source one, we are going to make one.""We mourn with you, and we stand with you, Paris," he said.

Update08:36 GMT - France is in a nationwide state of emergency after a spate of deadly attacks left at least 127 people dead and about 180 injured.- At least eight militants, all wearing suicide vests, brought unprecedented violence to the streets of the French capital, in the bloodiest attacks in Europe since the Madrid train bombings in 2004.- Suspicion immediately fell on Islamic State jihadists, or Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, as the likely perpetrators of the coordinated assault.- Investigators said at least eight attackers were dead by the end of Friday night's violence.

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 8:44:26 AM

Rock concert08:41 GMT - Armed with AK47s and shouting "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest"), four of the militants marched into a rock concert at the Bataclan venue in eastern Paris, murdering at least 82 people and taking dozens hostage. Hinting at their motives, the gunmen were overheard raging at French President Francois Hollande and his military interventions in the Syrian civil war against the Islamic State group.

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 8:50:32 AM

Merkel pledge08:45 GMT - German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she will meet with ministers."We will do everything to help in the hunt for the perpetrators and instigators, and to carry out the fight together against these terrorists," she says, adding that she will meet with ministers to discuss "the situation in France and all related questions".

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 8:50:33 AM

Russian PM08:47 GMT - "We share the sadness and the pain of the French people," says Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in a statement on the government's website."Terrorist crimes are not and cannot be justified. The Paris tragedy requires of us all to unite in the fight against extremism, to bring a strong answer to terrorists' actions."

Cafe08:56 GMT - At the Bo Man cafe in Paris there is a heavy silence, reports AFP's Stephane Jourdain. A man, talking on his phone, says: "Life goes on."An elderly woman tells a friend: "We will avoid areas where there are crowds."

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 9:16:56 AM

Iraq PM09:09 GMT - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi condemns the Paris attacks, saying they show the need for action against militants worldwide."We condemn and deplore the terrorist attacks in Paris, which emphasise that fighting terrorism calls for international efforts to eliminate it in all countries," Abadi says in a statement.

Putin09:25 GMT - "This tragedy has become another testimony of terrorism's barbarity, which poses a challenge to human civilisation," Russian President Vladimir Putin says in a telegram to French counterpart Francois Hollande, according to the Kremlin. "It is clear that the real unification of the international community's efforts is needed for an effective fight against this evil."

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 9:30:12 AM

'Hateful attacks'09:31 GMT - The head of Sunni Islam's leading seat of learning, Cairo's Al-Azhar, condemns the "hateful" Paris attacks."We denounce this hateful incident," Ahmed al-Tayyeb tells a conference in comments broadcast by Egyptian state television. "The time has come for the world to unite to confront this monster."

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 9:41:00 AM

Disneyland shut09:33 GMT - Disneyland Paris has decided not to open its theme parks today."In light of the recent tragic events in France and in support of our community and the victims of these horrendous attacks, Disneyland Paris has decided not to open its theme parks on Saturday 14 November," says a statement on its website."Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by these horrible events."

09:55 GMT - FRENCH PRESIDENT BLAMES ISLAMIC STATE GROUP FOR PARIS ATTACKS

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 9:59:15 AM

Facilities09:58 GMT - Schools, markets, museums and major tourist sites in the Paris area are closed today and sporting fixtures have been cancelled."All city facilities are closed today," Paris City Hall says on its website (http://www.paris.fr/actualites/fermeture-de-tous-les-equipements-parisiens-3082).

'Act of war'10:13 GMT - The multiple attacks across the city late Friday were "an act of war... committed by a terrorist army, the Islamic State, against France, against... what we are, a free country," Hollande says.

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:19:16 AM

German footballers10:16 GMT - Germany's footballers spent the night at the Stade de France in northern Paris after a friendly match against France."The players were very worried, the information was not very clear and we didn't want to take any risk on the road, so we decided not to drive through Paris ... (which was) not 100 percent secured and so we stayed in the dressing room," says Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff. The attacks at several locations in Paris erupted in the middle of Germany's away match against France at the Stade de France, with three loud explosions heard from outside the stadium in the first half.

'No justification': Lavrov10:48 GMT - More from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who spoke before an international meeting in Vienna to discuss the war in Syria:"There is no justification for terrorist acts and no justification for us not doing much more to defeat ISIS (Islamic State group) and Al-Nusra and the like," he says.

IS claim10:59 GMT - The Islamic State jihadist group has claimed the Paris gun and bomb attacks in a statement posted online.It said "eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault rifles" conducted a "blessed attack on... Crusader France."

von AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 11:17:57 AM

'Fascism': Kerry11:08 GMT - US Secretary of State John Kerry says the Paris attacks, and other recent acts of terror, show the world is witnessing "a kind of medieval and modern fascism... which seeks to destroy and create chaos.""The one thing we could say to those people is that what they do in this is stiffen our resolve, all of us, to fight back," Kerry says, declaring the attacks had spurred diplomats gathered in Vienna for talks on Syria to "do even harder work to ... help resolve the crises that we face".